Psalm 147 is a psalm of praise and thanksgiving for the Holy One, blessed be He’s guidance of His world: for the redemption of Israel from exile, for His general governance in nature - the clouds, rain, and growth - and for the individual divine providence that reaches every creature, from beast to the young ravens. In this section, from verse 7 onward, we learn how abundance emerges precisely from what appears to be darkness, and how the Holy One, blessed be He, provides man's sustenance without the strength of the horse and without the legs of man.
עֱנוּ לַה' בְּתוֹדָה, זַמְּרוּ לֵאלֹהֵינוּ בְכִנּוֹר. - Sing to Hashem with thanksgiving; sing praise to our God with the harp.
Radak explains that the verse addresses the Jewish people: sing to Hashem with your voice, and play music to Him on an instrument - namely, the harp - and let the song be one of thanksgiving. Note a point we have mentioned several times: zemer (song or melody) is not necessarily vocal, as we commonly think. In many biblical verses, zemer refers specifically to musical instruments (klei zemer). Even today, the Hebrew word for orchestra, tizmoret, refers strictly to musical instruments.
The thanksgiving is for all the goodness and greatness that Hashem has bestowed upon us. The chapter speaks of a state in which the Holy One, blessed be He, has already taken us out of exile, brought us great honor, and exalted us above all the nations. This is a tremendous act of divine might - to bring a small nation out from the midst of many nations. And perhaps an even greater display of might is convincing the people themselves to leave the exile. This is not simple at all. Try convincing a European or American Jew to leave the exile and come to the Holy Land: even before October 7th it was difficult, and after October 7th he may feel all the more that he is in a safe place, not to mention the surging antisemitism there.
And once you succeed in convincing a Jew to leave the exile, try taking the exile out of him. That is an entire story in itself: for the Jew to no longer carry an exilic mindset, but instead cling to Hashem and His Torah, rather than the golden calf of America or the other idols of the various lands of exile. Concerning this it is said: "Sing to Hashem with thanksgiving; sing praise to our God with the harp" - it is a great display of His might to bring a small nation out from among many nations, and we recount His mighty deeds.
And what are the mighty deeds that Hashem performs continually in the world? Rain. Our Sages refer to rain as Gevurot Geshamim (the mighty acts of rain), which is why the mention of rain was established in the blessing of Atah Gibbor: "You are eternally mighty, Hashem... He causes the wind to blow and the rain to fall." So too it is said: "Who does great things past finding out, and wonders without number - Who gives rain upon the face of the earth." And in Iyov: "The thunder of His mighty deeds, who can understand?" and Elihu says: "God thunders marvelously with His voice; He does great things, which we cannot comprehend," followed by: "For He says to the snow: Fall on the earth; likewise to the shower of rain, and to the showers of His mighty rain."
The return from exile, says Radak, will be akin to rain, and we yearn for this from God, blessed be He. As Michah says: "And the remnant of Yaakov shall be in the midst of many peoples like dew from Hashem, like showers upon the grass, that does not wait for man, nor tarries for the sons of men" - we look with hope only to Him, blessed be He, like one who looks to Hashem to bring down rain, which means clinging solely to Him. This is our expectation for the redemption: that the Holy One, blessed be He, will redeem us, and then all our salvation and hope will rest on Him alone. Not like today, when a person might think that perhaps America will save us, or perhaps the IDF will win the wars by its own might. Certainly an army is necessary as well, but one must know: "Wars I have waged" - the war is decided Above. And if it is decided Above, it means we can accomplish a tremendous amount, through strengthening ourselves in Torah study, in prayer, in the service of Hashem, and in meticulous observance of the mitzvot. That is how wars are decided, and that is how we act to bring down the rain, the spiritual bounty that Hashem will bestow upon us to redeem us.
The Malbim explains: "Sing to Hashem with thanksgiving" - because Hashem created the world, and this refers to the fixed order, the orderly conduct of nature. Therefore, raise your voice in song with thanksgiving for the general benevolence that Hashem bestows upon the world, which is also constant and orderly. But "sing praise to our God with the harp" - zemer denotes higher and more exalted song and praise, and this corresponds to Him being "our God" (Elokeinu), meaning His governance and our individual divine providence, the way Hashem guides us individually beyond His general governance of the world and of the nations. For this special providence, we sing with superior melody and with the harp, which is a noble musical instrument.
הַמְכַסֶּה שָׁמַיִם בְּעָבִים, הַמֵּכִין לָאָרֶץ מָטָר, הַמַּצְמִיחַ הָרִים חָצִיר. - Who covers the heavens with clouds, Who prepares rain for the earth, Who causes grass to sprout on the mountains.
In the sefer Tehillot Mahari'tz, he explains: Contemplate the rains. At first, before rain falls, the skies darken with thick clouds, and darkness and gloom take over. One who does not know what the clouds conceal within might think: this is something apocalyptic; Hashem has extinguished the sun; who knows what disaster we are headed toward - after all, the entire world has turned dark! And what becomes clear afterward? That it is all for the best: the Holy One, blessed be He, is bringing down rain.
This is what is meant by "Sing to Hashem with thanksgiving" - with the Name Havayah, the Attribute of Mercy; "sing praises to our God with a harp" - even when the Attribute of Justice is present, even in the aspect of "our God" (Elokim). Why? Because from Him no evil emerges, and the Holy One, blessed be He, bestows only good. And the proof: "Who covers the heavens with clouds" - at the time Hashem covers the heavens with clouds, it appears that darkness has descended upon the world, looking like distress. Yet despite all this, "Who prepares rain for the earth" - what emerges from it? Rain that Hashem prepares for the earth; "Who causes grass to sprout on the mountains, Who gives food to the beast" - bounty and blessing for the entire world. From here you learn to thank and praise, both through the Name Havayah and through the Name Elokim: always praise and sing, for even from what looks like heavens covered with clouds and distress - know that from it only good will come.
Mahari'tz Dushinsky further explains: "Heavens" is an allusion to the righteous - the heads of the tzaddikim are somewhere high in the heavens, in upper realms, immersed in heavenly matters. And "clouds" (avim) are the afflictions and troubles that envelop the tzaddik. When the Holy One, blessed be He, "covers the heavens with clouds", that is, envelops the righteous in afflictions and tribulations - know that through this, Hashem channels abundant good to the world.
As the Gemara says: "The entire world is sustained on account of [or: through the conduit of] My son Chanina, while for My son Chanina, a kav of carobs suffices" - he lived in extreme poverty, and that very poverty poured forth abundance to the entire world. And as we cited in the words of Rav Chaim of Volozhin: "Bi'shvil Chanina beni" - through that very conduit (shvil) through which bounty descends to Rabbi Chanina; and since he takes nothing from it, everything descending through that conduit inevitably reaches the entire world. Similarly, the Gemara states regarding Rebbe that during all the years of Rebbe's afflictions, no pregnant woman miscarried prematurely. Thus, when the tzaddik suffers, there is abundance for the entire world: "Who covers the heavens with clouds" - and as a result, "Who prepares rain for the earth, Who causes grass to sprout on the mountains, Who gives food to the beast, to the young ravens that cry."
The tzaddik might ask: If so, what do I gain from this? I am righteous, I suffer afflictions, and all the goodness goes to the world - a kav of carobs suffices for me, and Rebbe suffers afflictions! To this, the Ramchal responds: You have no comprehension of the eternal reward awaiting the tzaddik for suffering here and thereby bestowing good upon the entire world. The tzaddik certainly desires this, desiring to accept afflictions in order to benefit the entire world, because the eternal reward and the closeness to God that he merits through this are beyond measure. We have already brought an example of this from what is written: "Surely he bore our illnesses and carried our pains" - the tzaddik bears our sickness and is willing to endure all of this in order to bring good to the Jewish people in the end.
Radak explains the verse according to its plain meaning: The heavens are lofty, clear, good, pure, and luminous, and when Hashem spreads clouds in a lower realm, the heavens are concealed from human eyes. "Who causes grass to sprout on the mountains" - even on the mountains, which are dry and rocky, Hashem causes grass to sprout even there, all the more so in a place conducive to crops like a plain. Through this, Scripture shows you how the Holy One, blessed be He, alters reality through His power.
And the Malbim says: Even in general providence we see that everything is from Him, blessed be He, and Hashem watches over all His creations. Behold, Hashem covers the heavens with clouds; rain is providence from Him; through the clouds He prepares rain for the earth, and through the rain He causes grass to sprout on the mountains. All of this belongs to general providence - for there is general providence and there is individual, providential, miraculous guidance unique to us, and here the verse speaks of the manner in which the Holy One, blessed be He, directs His world through general providence.
The book Otzrot HaHaggadah cites the teaching of Chazal: Whoever takes upon himself the yoke of Torah, the yoke of government and the yoke of worldly labor are removed from him. When a Torah scholar sits all day immersed in Torah study, the Holy One, blessed be He, provides for his livelihood and sustenance without his having to toil and exhaust himself - provided that he truly studies Torah with diligence. Just as Chazal say that the heavens are called shechakim because in them the Holy One, blessed be He, as it were, grinds (shochek) the manna for the righteous. By contrast, a person who does not study Torah properly must strive and toil for his livelihood: "By the sweat of your brow shall you eat bread."
And this is the meaning of "Who prepares rain for the earth": people who fall into the category of "earth" - that is, who belong to earthliness, who do not study Torah and work all day - the Holy One, blessed be He, sends them rain, but they must labor in their daily toil: plowing, sowing, and reaping. Whereas "Who causes grass to grow upon the mountains": those Torah scholars who are spiritual, who are in the category of lofty "mountains" - just as Chazal said that the mountains are the Patriarchs and the hills are the Matriarchs, and mountains symbolize the righteous - for them the Holy One, blessed be He, causes grass to grow without their toiling; their sustenance is prepared without their having to strain for it. True, there is no promise of wealth - "I have not seen a righteous person forsaken and his seed begging for bread" does not guarantee riches - but the Holy One, blessed be He, provides him with his needs.
This is not to say, God forbid, that someone who needs a livelihood is forbidden to go out and work; earning an honest living dignifies a person. But one must recognize the unique stature of someone who devotes himself entirely to Torah, and that he is guided by a special divine providence from Hashem.
Someone once asked Rav Shteinman: Can one see miracles in our times? In the past there were miracles, but where do we see them today? He answered him: We see them every day. The man asked: Where? He replied: Avreichim marrying off children. It is an inexplicable miracle. An avreich marries off eight or even ten children, and thank God you see that not one of them goes naked; they all get married fully clothed, and in the end they all acquire apartments. How is this possible? What does it take to fund a wedding, clothing, paying the band - where does all of this come from? Inevitably, there is a special divine providence by which the Holy One, blessed be He, guides the bnei Torah.
On another occasion, two prospective mechutanim came before him: one an avreich, a ben Torah, and the other a well-established baal habayis who earned a comfortable living. There was a dispute between them over a certain sum of money; the working man had indeed committed to paying more, but he insisted that the avreich add a specific amount. They went to consult Rav Shteinman. The avreich said: I am an avreich, my means are limited, while he, baruch Hashem, works and has resources, yet he insists that I contribute more. The Rav ruled: You should give it. Not more than the other party, but that disputed amount - take it upon yourself. The avreich asked: Why? The Rav replied: He works, so for every shekel he must exert effort to earn it. But you - where did you get the initial sum from? Everything is from Heaven, entirely through Hashem's kindness to you. If so, place those extra fifty thousand onto the very same shoulders; these shoulders can carry more. He is on a different track, so it makes more sense for you to take it upon yourself.
And Rav Shteinman lived this reality and saw it with his own eyes, for his entire life was spent in total devotion to Torah. Even when they brought him a salary, if he did not need it, he would not take it, saying: The only allowance to take money from the yeshivah is in order to sustain oneself. Once, his salary was withheld for six months, and they told him that when the Yomim Tovim arrived and donations came in, they would pay him what was owed. When the Yomim Tovim arrived, they offered him the entire six months retroactively - but he refused to accept it. They asked him: Why? The Rav earned this; it is a salary, the Rav taught here! He told them: The entire justification to take a salary is to sustain oneself, and you see that the Holy One, blessed be He, sustained me for six months. "The kindnesses of Hashem never cease" - we survived six months through Hashem; if we survived through Hashem, what justification is there now to take the money? And if one might argue: But one needs to marry off children! - he lived on an entirely different plane: When I need to marry off children, the Holy One, blessed be He, will provide for me; He who provided for me until today will provide for me then as well. And in truth, he never lacked, neither then nor later, and millions if not billions passed through his hands, yet nothing ever stuck to him.
It is related that once a sum of money was lost that someone had given him to pass on to a needy person. The money went missing; he searched and could not find it. He said to the charity fund administrator: I will replace this money from my salary in installments. They told him: The Rav is exempt from liability; the Rav never accepted it under the halachic status of a guardian. He said to them: Are you coming to explain to me why I am exempt? I can give you several more reasons why I am exempt. But if I can spare myself one less question in the World of Truth, it is worth it for me to spend any sum in this world, so that they will not ask me: 'Reb Aharon Leib, what happened to the money given to you to deliver to that needy person? How did you watch over it?'
When one sees people living in such a reality, above nature, cleaving to the Master of the World and entirely untroubled by material matters - it simply does not speak to them. Such a person knows he is in the best of hands, and that the Holy One, blessed be He, is the One carrying him: "Cast your burden upon Hashem." The whole problem is that we try to carry our burden ourselves; we want to bear the load on our own. But if we cast it upon the Master of the World, we see that the Holy One, blessed be He, says: I have broad shoulders; I can carry far heavier burdens - just cast your burden upon Hashem.
נוֹתֵן לִבְהֵמָה לַחְמָהּ, לִבְנֵי עֹרֵב אֲשֶׁר יִקְרָאוּ. - He gives the beast its food, to the young ravens that cry.
Rashi explains "gives the beast" - its food. An animal does not eat bread, but rather "bread" is a general term for sustenance. And who are "the young ravens that cry"? Rashi states in the name of Chazal that the raven is cruel to its offspring, and the Holy One, blessed be He, has mercy on them and summons gnats from their droppings, which enter into their mouths.
The Radak elaborates further: when raven chicks are born, they are white, and their mothers abandon them, thinking, "We must have brooded over eggs that were not our own, for otherwise, how could raven chicks be white?" They therefore do not bring them prey. The chicks cry out - and this is the meaning of "to the young ravens that cry," as they cry out, as it were, to Hashem to provide them with food, and the Holy One, blessed be He, causes gnats to emerge from their droppings, which they eat. It is interesting to note that the Rashash in the Gemara suggests that according to this, the letter lamed in livnei ("to the young") is not a prepositional prefix, but part of the root: lovnei oreiv - white ravens, who cry out and seek their food.
From this, the Radak notes, we see that Hashem helps the weak who have no ability of their own. In the same way, He aids the people of Israel, who are abandoned in exile and devoid of strength. It is precisely in those who are weak and lowly that the Holy One, blessed be He, takes delight, as we shall see in the next verse: "He desires not the might of the horse, nor does He take pleasure in the legs of man" - His favor rests precisely on the destitute who have no one else to help them.
Pirkei D'Rabbi Eliezer teaches: "To the young ravens that cry" - they cry out for rain to fall upon the earth, and the Holy One, blessed be He, answers them. This is their reward for having shown Adam and Chavah that the deceased are to be buried in the earth. When Hevel was murdered by Kayin, Adam and Chavah did not know what to do with the corpse - it was the very first time they had ever seen death: where do you take it, where do you place it? Then they saw a dead raven, and watched as other ravens dug in the earth and buried it. From this they understood that this is how a body should be treated. In that merit, whenever young ravens cry out and plead for rain upon the earth, Hashem answers them.
לֹא בִגְבוּרַת הַסּוּס יֶחְפָּץ, לֹא בְשׁוֹקֵי הָאִישׁ יִרְצֶה. - He desires not the might of the horse; He takes no pleasure in the legs of man.
Rashi explains: the Holy One, blessed be He, does not desire the might of the horse, nor does He take pleasure in the swiftness of man's legs - no matter how fleet-footed a person may be. The Radak raises a difficulty: was it not Hashem Himself Who endowed the horse with its might? Would He give it something He does not desire? He proves this from the Book of Iyov: "Do you give the horse his might?" - can you grant the horse strength as I have given him? This clearly shows that Hashem willed the horse's might and bestowed it upon him.
Rather, the meaning is: I do not desire the person who trusts in the might of the horse, nor do I desire the person who trusts in his own legs to flee from battle, as the prophet says: "Neither shall the swift of foot escape, nor shall the horseman save his life." The verse does not mean that Hashem despises the horse's strength, but that He takes no pleasure in one who places his trust in the horse's might or in his own legs. In whom does He take pleasure? In the one who trusts in Hashem, blessed is He. It is in him that the Holy One, blessed be He, delights and takes an interest, rather than in those who trust that the might of the horse and the swiftness of their legs will save them.
The Malbim explains, connecting this back to verse 9: through the grass, Hashem provides food for the beasts as well, showing that His providence extends even to animals, and He provides sustenance to the young ravens as well. Notice the remarkable connection he draws: "To the young ravens that cry - He desires not the might of the horse, He takes no pleasure in the legs of man." In other words, what are the young ravens calling out and proclaiming? They are proclaiming: "He desires not the might of the horse"!
The explanation is as follows: the young ravens proclaim that Hashem does not desire the might of the horse - meaning that in order to obtain prey and sustenance, there is no need for excessive human effort (hishtadlut), for everything comes from Hashem. And who proves this? The young ravens themselves! "You think that great strength is required for this? Who is weaker than we are? And yet, you see that Hashem provides our food. Learn from us that a person can be completely helpless, yet the Holy One, blessed be He, will still prepare his livelihood."
And what is the lesson behind these two examples? The Malbim explains: some people obtain their sustenance through war, plundering spoils from the enemy. This is reminiscent of what the elders said to David: "Your people Israel need sustenance," to which he replied, "Go and stretch out your hands in a raiding troop" - meaning, obtain a livelihood by raiding the enemy. And for war, one needs a horse prepared for the day of battle. Others obtain their livelihood, as the Radak notes, by journeying great distances - "she brings her food from afar." Even today, people travel to the far corners of the earth for all sorts of business and importing, and for this, one needs legs and endurance to move from place to place. The young ravens come and proclaim: Hashem does not desire the might of the horse - that you should secure your livelihood by raiding in a troop; nor does Hashem take pleasure in the legs of man - that you should secure your livelihood by trekking across great distances. One who places his hope in Hashem, blessed is He, will find his livelihood in his own home, without horse, chariot, or warfare, just as Hashem provides sustenance for the young ravens. Trust in Hashem, and see how your livelihood comes straight to you.
A man once came to the Rebbe of Ozharov and shared that his financial situation was dire, and so he wanted to fly to the United States - the land of unlimited possibilities, where dollars roll in the streets or grow on trees, just waiting to be picked. The Rebbe wished him a successful journey, but added: While you are there, please convey my regards and ask after the welfare of the God of America. The man looked at him: What do you mean, the God of America? Is there a different God for America? The Rebbe replied: I do not know. If you feel that you must travel all the way to America to find livelihood there, apparently the God there is different; apparently His broadcast does not reach here, and you must go there for Him to provide your livelihood. At that moment, the man understood the piercing moral lesson.
If the Holy One, Blessed is He, desires to sustain you - "to the young ravens that cry." The young ravens say: Look, Hashem brings food right to our mouths. What is meant for you will reach you directly. If you place your trust in Hashem and rely upon Him, you will see that the Holy One, Blessed is He, will bestow the abundance of livelihood upon you. It is neither the strength of the horse nor the legs of man; rather, the young ravens are the parable: they cry out and declare that the Holy One, Blessed is He, brings a person's livelihood straight to him. Why run frantically after livelihood, when the Holy One, Blessed is He, provides a person with what is designated for him?
All that is required is one single truth: that a person have bitachon in Hashem. The more a person trusts in Hashem, the less hishtadlut (effort) he will need to exert; and the weaker his bitachon, the greater the hishtadlut he will require. If he has no bitachon at all, he will have to strain for every single shekel allotted to him - every shekel decreed for you on Rosh Hashanah will require you to exhaust your very soul for it. Why? Because you do not rely on Hashem at all. The Holy One, Blessed is He, says to him: You do not rely on Me? Go right ahead. As the Chovot HaLevavot states: Hashem leaves a person in the hands of whatever he relies upon, in the hands of what he trusts. You trust in your own strength? By all means - toil, labor, and bring it yourself.
A man once approached a Rebbe and said: Rabbi, I do not understand. Ever since I was young, people told me that I have an extraordinary IQ, that I am a genius, yet with all of that, I have nothing to eat and no livelihood. The great master said to him: Shlomo already said, "Bread does not belong to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent." The man said to him: Rebbe, that is precisely the difficulty I came to ask about - why should they be punished for this? Just because one is wise, should he not have bread? The Rebbe replied: The Holy One, Blessed is He, says to the wise man - you are wise? If so, succeed on your own, do it by yourself. In other words, when a person walks around with the feeling that he is clever, that he knows where to invest and what to do, the Holy One, Blessed is He, says to him: Go ahead, take the reins and manage the business on your own. But if a person says: Master of the Universe, I am not wise, I am nothing, You bestow Your bounty upon me - the Holy One, Blessed is He, showers him with bounty and guides him. Yet to the one who says, "I am smart, I already know," Hashem says: You know? Let us see what you know.
The Sefer Siach Yitzchak makes a precise observation: it does not say, "He does not desire the strength of man" as it says regarding the horse, but rather "nor does He take pleasure in the legs of man." Why? Because in the strength of a horse, the Holy One, Blessed is He, truly has no desire - what does He gain from the strength of a horse? But from the strength of man, He gains a great deal, for when you show strength, you overcome your evil inclination, fight desires, and conquer your passions. For man, strength is vital and necessary. Rather, "the legs of man" refers to when a person pats his thighs and says: These legs walked far and exerted effort to achieve this! To this, the Holy One, Blessed is He, says: Did you achieve it? Did your legs achieve it? Regarding this it is said, "Nor does He take pleasure in the legs of man." But man's strength is indeed necessary, for only through strength does a person overcome his evil inclination.
The psalm teaches us to give thanks and sing praise - with voice and with instrument, with the Name of Havayah and the Name of Elokim, for the general governance and for individual divine providence alike. From the clouds that cover the heavens emerge rain and bounty, and through the tribulations of the righteous, blessing is drawn down to the entire world. The Holy One, Blessed is He, sustains the beast and the fragile young ravens, declaring through them that livelihood depends neither on the strength of the horse nor on the swift running of man's legs, but on trust in Hashem. The more a person casts his burden upon his Creator, the more he enters a realm of supernatural providence - and thus may we merit the redemption, in which all our hope and salvation will rest solely in Him, blessed be He.